India on Friday, 25 July 2026 firmly rejected Pakistani media reports alleging that New Delhi was deliberately engineering floods in Pakistan, calling the claims baseless, factually incorrect, and technically untenable. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the surge in the Chenab River's flow was a direct result of intense monsoon rainfall over Jammu and adjoining catchment areas between 20 and 23 July 2026.

What India Said

'We are seeing Pakistani media reports that are making allegations that India is deliberately causing flooding in Pakistan and such allegations, I must say are baseless and contrary to the facts,' Jaiswal said at a media briefing in New Delhi. He stated that the rise in Chenab flows was 'a direct consequence of intense monsoon rainfall over Jammu and adjoining catchment areas during the last three days, which is between 20–23 July 2026.'

Jaiswal further noted that India's position was not merely a counter-claim — it was, he argued, corroborated by Pakistan's own official flood forecasting authority.

Pakistan's Own Data Contradicts the Allegation

Pakistan's Flood Forecasting Division, based in Lahore, issued a flood advisory on 22 July 2026 at 1718 hours local time, attributing high flood levels in the Chenab River to heavy rainfall over the upper catchment area. The advisory stated that high flows at Marala were expected to persist before gradually receding as rainfall over the catchment decreased.

'The rise in river flows is, therefore, a natural hydrological response to heavy monsoon rainfall and not the result of any deliberate action by India. Attempts to portray a weather-driven flood event as an upstream intervention are factually incorrect, technically untenable, and contradicted by Pakistan's own official flood advisories,' Jaiswal said.

On Flood Warning Allegations

Responding to allegations that India deliberately withheld flood warnings, Jaiswal said river flows during the period 'did not reach extraordinary discharge levels requiring the issuance of special flood warnings.' He added that the observed flows were consistent with prevailing monsoon conditions, as acknowledged by Pakistan's own flood forecasting authorities, making any suggestion of deliberate withholding 'without factual basis.'

Nevertheless, Jaiswal confirmed that India would continue to share high-flood data with Pakistan on humanitarian grounds through diplomatic channels, as and when the situation warrants — consistent with its approach from the previous year.

Indus Waters Treaty Remains in Abeyance

During the same briefing, Jaiswal reiterated India's unchanged position on the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). 'Indus Waters Treaty is or remains in abeyance until Pakistan irrevocably and credibly abjures its support for cross-border terrorism,' he said.

The IWT, signed on 19 September 1960, governs the utilisation of waters of the Indus river system between the two countries. India placed the treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam terror attack of 2025, invoking its rights under international law and conditioning any resumption on Pakistan credibly abandoning support for cross-border terrorism. That position, Jaiswal confirmed, remains unchanged.